A quick tour of Jimi Hendrix's Seattle

New park is latest remembrance for native son, rock legend

Stephen Cohen
| on June 16, 2017

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Jimi Hendrix Park in the Central District will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, becoming the latest nod to the rock legend in his hometown. Hendrix still has a lasting impact on Seattle nearly 50 years

Jimi Hendrix Park in the Central District will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday, becoming the latest nod to the rock legend in his hometown. Hendrix still has a lasting impact on Seattle nearly 50 years after his death.

Photo: Eric Nalder, Hearst Newspapers

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Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on Nov. 27, 1942 at Harborview Medical Center to parents Al and Lucille. In 1946, Al legally changed his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix. Jimmy, as he was called,

Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix on Nov. 27, 1942 at Harborview Medical Center to parents Al and Lucille. In 1946, Al legally changed his son's name to James Marshall Hendrix. Jimmy, as he was called, had four siblings, but only lived with his younger brother Leon.

Photo: Seattle Post-Intelligencer Archive, As Preserved By The Museum Of History & Industry

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The family settled down in Columbia City's Rainier Vista Housing Project, but life at home wasn't happy or stable, with Al and Lucille divorcing in 1951.

Photo: Google Street View

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Hendrix spent time living with friends, family members and in foster care as a child. Horace Mann Elementary School in the Central District was one of the first schools he attended.

Photo: Gilbert W. Arias, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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Eventually, Jimmy and Leon went to live with their father at 2603 S. Washington St.

Photo: Seattle P-I/MOHAI

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There's no evidence that Hendrix was able to attend the show, but Elvis Presley's 1957 concert at Sick's Stadium was said to have had a profound effect on the 15-year-old Jimmy.

Photo: P-I File

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Hendrix got his first guitar close to that time. One of the first songs he taught himself to play was The Kingsmen's beloved "Louie Louie."

Photo: Courtesy Experience Music Project

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It was also around that time that Hendrix started playing with his first band, the Rocking Kings.

Photo: P-I File

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Hendrix attended Garfield High School until he dropped out in 1959. He did landscaping work alongside his father until a spate of trouble landed him in hot water.

Photo: Courtesy Experience Music Project

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After being caught riding in a stolen car twice in one week, Hendrix chose the army instead of jail, shipping off to basic training in summer 1961. He was discharged in 1962.

Photo: P-I File

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Hendrix earned his first notoriety in Nashville. A few years after leaving Seattle, he was playing with the likes of Little Richard and the Isley Brothers, with whom he is shown playing in a return to Seattle

Hendrix earned his first notoriety in Nashville. A few years after leaving Seattle, he was playing with the likes of Little Richard and the Isley Brothers, with whom he is shown playing in a return to Seattle in 1964.

Photo: National Register Of Historic Places

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Hendrix became a star after moving to England in 1965 and re-branding himself "Jimi Hendrix." He returned to Seattle in August 1967 to play the Eagles Auditorium.

Photo: PI

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Hendrix's final Seattle performance came at Sick's Stadium in on July 26, 1970, less than two months before his death.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Hendrix was buried on Oct. 1, 1970 at the Greenwood Cemetery in Renton.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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The Jimi Hendrix gravesite and memorial at Greenwood Cemetery in Renton.

Photo: Mike Urban, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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Hendrix's influence is still felt around the city of Seattle. The Experience Music Project (now The Museum of Pop Culture) was built in his honor, opening in 2000.

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Hendrix's handwritten lyrics, part of the the EMP's 'Jimi Hendrix: An Evolution of Sound' exhibit in 2014.

Photo: Humberto Martínez, Seattlepi.com

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Hendrix memorabilia are shown off in a glass pane case at The Hard Rock Cafe in Seattle.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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A statue of Hendrix sits at the corner of Broadway and Pine in Capitol Hill.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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The Jimi Hendrix statue in Capitol Hill.

Photo: GENNA MARTIN, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Jimi Hendrix Park in the Central District.

Jimi Hendrix fans will be able to celebrate the Seattle rock 'n' roll legend with the grand opening of a new park this weekend.

Jimi Hendrix Park celebrates its grand opening with live music, guest speakers and family activities from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday following the completion of its latest construction phase.

The 2.5-acre park, which first opened to the public in October 2016, is located next to the Northwest African American Museum (formerly the Colman School) at 2400 S. Massachusetts St. in the Central District.

The park features several nods to Hendrix, including a stairway displaying his signature at the corner of South Massachusetts Street and 25th Avenue South, and a walkway featuring a timeline of his life and career embedded in the pavement, complete with lyrics to hits "Angel" and "Little Wing."

The newest additions to the park are a central amphitheater and the "Shadow Wave Wall," a sculpture depicting silhouetted images of Hendrix constructed with the help of a $300,000 donation from Sony Music.

Tributes to Hendrix, who died in 1970, are featured around Seattle, including a statue at Broadway and Pine in Capitol Hill.